1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control lever safety apparatus for a heavy equipment which is capable of preventing an operation of a work apparatus even when a control lever is operated or touched by mistake in a state that an equipment is started in such a manner that a safety lever is tilted downwardly when a consol box installed in a side of a driver's seat is tilted, so that an electrical signal connected with a control lever is disconnected.
2. Description of the Background Art
As shown in FIG. 1, in a control lever safety apparatus for a heavy equipment in a conventional art, a consol box 2 having a control lever 1 is installed in a side of a driver's seat for operating a work apparatus. The consol box 2 is tiltable about a hinge pin 7 by an extension operation of a gas spring 4 having one end fixed to a bracket 3 to which a driver's seat is fixed. A limit switch 5 is engaged in a lower surface of the consol box 2 for opening and closing a solenoid valve as the power is on and off based on an operation of the consol box 2. A safety lever 6 is tiltably installed in a side of the consol box 2 for preventing a malfunction of a work apparatus in such a manner that the power of the work apparatus is turned off as the consol box 2 is tilted as a driver leaves the seat for thereby disconnecting an electrical signal supplied to the consol box 2.
In the drawings, reference numeral 8 represents a support which supports the consol box 2, and 9 represents an elastic member which elastically bias-supports in an initial state that the power of the limit switch 5 is connected by supporting the safety lever 6.
Therefore, in the case that a driver leaves from the seat during a work, when operating a locking lever(not shown), a locked state of the consol box 2 may be released, and the consol box 2 may be rotated in a clockwise direction about the hinge pin 7 based on an extension operation of the gas spring 4 as indicated by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, so that the power of the limit switch 5 is switched to an off state, and it is possible to prevent an operation oil from being supplied to the work apparatus based on a driving operation of the solenoid valve(not shown).
Therefore, in the case that a driver leaves from the seat in a state that the equipment is started, if the driver operates or touches the control lever 1 due to a driver's mistake, it is possible to prevent a safety accident in such a manner that the operation of the work apparatus is stopped.
In addition, when a driver drives a work apparatus in a state that the equipment is started, assuming that the consol box 2 is tilted, the power of the limit switch 5 related to the control lever 1 is in a turned on state between the time when the driver pressurizes the consol box 2 using a pressing handle 2a in order for the consol box 2 to be returned to an initial state(it refers to a switching operation from the tilting state indicated by the imaginary line of FIG. 1 to the initial state indicated by the full line) and the time when the locking apparatus of the consol box 2 is locked.
Therefore, if a driver touches the control lever 1 due to a mistake or a unstable surrounding environment factor of a driver when pressurizing the consol box 2, the work apparatus may be operated(for example, arm in or arm out, and rotation of equipment, etc.), the equipment may be damaged or a certain worker near the equipment may be injured thereby causing a big safety accident, resulting in loss in a human and physical property.